A/N: I am sooo very sorry for how long this has taken me! I finally just had to force myself to write this. I had decided that 6 months was long enough to get over a writer's block! Hope you enjoy it…


Chapter 10

Lily and Ginny were going to open up present and have a quiet Christmas morning at their home until Harry came and then they would floo to the Burrow for Christmas lunch. Lily could no longer wait, it was seven in the morning and she was too excited for her own good. So, she ran into her mother's room to wake her up like a five-year-old instead of the fifteen-year-old she was.

Lily jumped on the bed and began yelling, "Wake up! Come on Mum, wake up!"

The lump on the bed that Lily assumed was her mother turned out to be two lumps and a male voice came from the bed moaning "Lily… what time is it?"

Lily immediate stopped jumping. "Harry! I didn't – didn't know you were here…" she said awkwardly.

Ginny pulled down the blanket and started to roll out of bed noticing the relief on her daughter's face that they were both fully clothed. "Harry and I stayed up late talking last night so we figured this would just be easier than him coming back again this morning anyway." She paused for a moment before her voice was filled with concern. "You don't mind, do you?"

"No! No. It just surprised me, that's all." Lily then added quietly with her head down, "I like seeing you guys together."

Harry and Ginny both grinned until Lily broke the silence. "What are we waiting for!? There are presents to be opened!"

The daughter then dashed out of the room and down the stairs while her parents laughed, both thinking that she was definitely a Weasley. Right as they made to open the door, Harry held Ginny back.

"Do you really think this is okay for her? I mean, this is all very sudden for me I know. And she wasn't there to see us before and it is kinda weird how we restarted as Dylan and Eliza and … I don't know. I just want anything to be weird. "Harry trailed off timidly.

"Harry, I'm afraid of the same thing but you also don't know our daughter as well. Not that that is your fault…" Ginny quickly added. "But you heard her. She likes this new change. I think it just going to get some getting used to. For all of us.

Harry stood there with his brows furrowed in concentration until he suddenly broke out into a large smile. "Merlin, how I love you. Still, after all this time…"

Ginny smiled and leaned forward for a quick kiss. "I love you too. Amazing isn't it?" Another kiss. "Okay, Lily has probably already gotten into the gifts. Let's go."


A few hours later, they were standing in front of the fireplace that had been connected to the floo network just a few days ago clutching into bags of gifts for the extensive Weasley family.

Just as Ginny was grabbing the floo powder she turned back around to face Harry with a huge grin on her face.

"Thank you so much… again. I cannot say thank you enough!"

Harry laughed. "If all I have to do to make you happy is buy a broomstick, things are going to be way too easy! Are you bringing it to the burrow?"

Ginny looked scandalized. "Of course I'm bringing it! I haven't ridden a broom in fifteen years and now I get a brand new one and you ask me if I'm bring it. Honestly." Ginny shook her head as if disappointed with him before throwing the powder into the fire, yelling "The Burrow!" and flashing a grin at Harry before she disappeared.

Lily was supposed to go next but she suddenly felt incredibly scared. She was meeting her family for the first time! True, she had already met many of her new cousins at school and it turned out she had even been introduced to a few of her aunts and uncles before too. But none of that mattered because now they were being introduced as her family. And that just terrified her.

A sudden though crossed Lily's mind that made her freeze in shock in addition to terror. One of her best friends at school was Fred Weasley! Now they had to be cousins in addition to best friends! How was that going to work? But it did make more sense as to why so many people thought they were twins at first...

Harry had watched Lily hesitate in front of the fire and then stiffen up for a reason unknown to him. He felt a sudden pang of worry that he had never felt at that strength before. He figure that was because this was the first time he had worried about Lily since he knew she was his daughter.

Harry reached out and touched her arm.

"Lily, are you aright?" he asked quietly.

When she replied it was so quiet that Harry barely caught it. "I'm going to meet my family. I didn't even know I HAD a family until you came!" She turned to face him. "And Fred is my cousin! It is just so weird." She was glad that Harry was also her Professor Potter so he know how good of friends they were, often ending up in detention together.

"I know Lily. It is probably going to be hard at first. Are you nervous or are you scared too?" When she nodded her head and looked into his eyes, Harry felt that pang of worry even more so and he pulled Lily into a protective hug.

"The Weasleys are an amazing family Lily. The summer I turned 12, I spent my first time with that family as a friend of your Uncle Ron's. I was immediately accepted and have been a part of the family ever since. The Burrow and Hogwarts have been my only real homes." Harry paused while pulling away from Lily to look back at her. He chucked and then added, "And I wasn't even related to them! Imagine how great it will be for you! Plus, I think the fact that you and Fred are cousins is not only completely understandable, but it is going to make things even better for your friendship. And harder for Neville at Hogwarts!"

Lily laughed at the idea of her Head of House having to deal with the pair of them causing even more trouble than before. She felt much better: nervous but no longer scared. It felt great to be hugged and comforted by her father; it was something she had longed for ever since she was little.

Like her mother, Harry watched Lily grab the floo powder before turning around to face Harry again. "And really, thank you for the necklace. It really means… it's very special that… I guess, just… thank you." Lily tried to put as much feeling into her 'thank you' as she could because of her lack of eloquence.

And Harry felt it. In fact, he couldn't stop the tears that came to his eyes, something that hadn't happened in a long time. "I'm glad that you are the person to carry my mother's name. I can't think of anyone better. Plus, I heard my father gave that necklace to match her eyes, so it is perfect for you too."

They smiled at each other in silence sharing their first real "father-daughter moment" before Lily and then Harry traveled to the Burrow.


When someone asked Lily afterwards what had happened at tat first trip to the Burrow, she simply responded with something along the lines of "I'm not sure. But it felt amazing." That entire Christmas day was a gigantic blur of hugs (especially from her long-lost grandmother), amazing food, but most importantly, laughter.

At first Lily found herself following her mother around timidly as she was introduced to people that she would soon have to be reminded who they were later. There were so many little kids as well! Some she recognized from school, but there were quite a few who were younger than eleven and it was pretty overwhelming growing up as an only child. She remembered getting a hug from her Head Girl, Victoire, and then she looked up at the movement from the staircase.

"Lily!" A voice yelled through the first floor of the Burrow as a young red-headed male rushed towards her.

Lily quickly released Victoire to run towards her best friend. "Fred! It is so weird! I mean, I knew you're a Weasley, but… I dunno…"

He grinned mischievously at her, "You are too, you know."

"Actually, I am a Potter." Lily replied smugly.

Laughter broke out through the living room and from then on, Lily found herself much more comfortable around her new, and extraordinarily large, family.

It ended up being her best Christmas ever, aided by her grandmother's cooking – which may have even been better than her mum's!


As her family ate dinner around the once again extended table, Ginny finally felt a sense of peace. Her two lives had come together finally.

The sound of giggling came from the other end of the table. It looked like Lily and Fred were helping their younger cousin Lucy discretely prank people at dinner. It also looked like Charlie, Teddy, and George were passing along tips to them. As a result, George was getting a lot of glares from Angelina about this and all five were getting them from Percy who didn't like his daughter being corrupted by pranksters.

Ginny felt a light squeeze on her leg and tuned towards the hand's owner.

"How are you doing?" A concerned looking Harry whispered to her.

All Ginny could do in response was smile widely and Harry smiled in return.

Her father and Ron quickly ended their moment of bliss and any further observations of the table, though, with questions about her football league.

Ginny thought that this could be her favorite Christmas dinner from her life.


After midnight, the Weasley family Christmas party finally died down. Harry slugged up the familiar staircase to Ron's old bedroom where Fred and Lily were scheming something for when they got back to Hogwarts. Harry had decided earlier that he didn't want to know anything about it.

He opened the door expecting two guilty faces to be staring back, but was greeted with only one. Fred looked up from his parchment and then pointed to the bed where Harry saw Lily curled up fast asleep.

He gently lifted her up as she moved towards his body warmth mumbling something about Moaning Myrtle's toilet. Again, Harry decided it was better not to know.

Opting to floo Ginny later, he apparated Lily back to her own room and gently laid her in bed, tucking the cover around her shoulders. She opened her eyes sleepily and smiled up at Harry.

"Thanks Dad" she mumbled before rolling onto her side and falling back asleep.

Silently, Harry backed out of the room grinning from ear to ear. He had just received the most amazing Christmas present anyone could have given him.


A/N: Again, I am incredibly sorry for taking this long in addition to disappointed in myself. My life basically got dumped upside down and my mind refused to work the same way. Anyway, I am not 100 happy with this chapter (who ever is?) but I definitely don't think it as good as my previous chapters, but I really want to finish it. I still love this story. I am going to do my best to get the next chapter out within a week. Hope you enjoyed the new chapter and it looks like there will be 3 more chapters in this story. As always, I'd love to hear any comments and constructive criticism! Thanks my lovely readers!